The household appliances, especially the front-loaded ones such as washers and dryers are stacked on top of the other during exhibition and usage due to limited usable space in the shops and homes. Household appliances forming a long column are attached to each other with a stacking apparatus to prevent toppling.
In the British Patent no. GB817788, a description is given of a washer, a dryer superposed invertedly on top of the washer and an apparatus joining both, comprising a strip-shaped intermediary member.
In the German Patent no. DE3827790, an element for mounting an upper appliance e.g. a laundry drier, on a lower appliance, e.g. a laundry washing machine is described. This element comprises Z-shaped brackets fixed with screws to the top surface of the lower appliance and three side panels covering the gap between the two appliances. The kick-plate of the dryer is taken out when mounting it on top of the washing machine.
The French Patent no. FR2672962, describes a device for superposing household appliances such as refrigerators on top of each other, comprising three panels attached by screws to the appliance at the bottom that have holes for the feet of the appliance on the top.
The assembly of the devices used in the state of the art is laborious since they comprise separate parts or panels attached to each other and the household appliances by means of screws, detents and the like.
Furthermore, a gap has to be left between the stacked household appliances to be able to open their kick-plate covers. This results in accumulation of dust, grime and such between the household appliances. Furthermore an unaesthetic appearance is formed.